A New And Ancient Story: The Podcast

Part Two of my conversation with Gigi Coyle explores the process of transforming pain and turmoil that is intensely reflecting back to us from the world (natural disasters, forest fires, potlics, etc..). How do we find the gifts hidden in these situations? How do we not go crazy trying not to go crazy? This is Part Two of a two-part conversation. You can find Part One at: https://charleseisenstein.org/podcasts/new-and-ancient-story-podcast/gigi-coyle-what-is-mine-to-do-e42/ More about Gigi's work: http://schooloflostborders.org/content/virginia-gigi-coyle

What is mine to do? This is the mantra of Gigi Coyle, a revered veteran of social, political, and spiritual movements going back to the 1970s. Gigi was instrumental in the founding of the Ojai Foundation, Youth Passageways, Beyond Boundaries, and other groups. She is a true elder, someone whose experiences, successes, and especially failures give birth to wisdom in the soil of her humility. I hope listeners benefit as much from this conversation as I did. This is Part One of a two-part conversation. You can find Part Two at: https://charleseisenstein.org/podcasts/new-and-ancient-story-podcast/gigi-coyle-what-is-mine-to-do-e42/ More about Gigi's work: http://schooloflostborders.org/content/virginia-gigi-coyle

This conversation with Zack Geist addresses the phenomenon of debt, both from a theoretical standpoint and in very practical terms (at least for US listeners). Zack operates a business that liberates people from student loans and other debt. We discuss the morality of debt, debt peonage, and the crushing realities of debt in America. This is a conversation between a philosopher (me) and someone who works with real people deep inside the system. To learn more about Zack Geist's work, please visit https://learn.studentloantutor.com/magic/

In this conversation, filmmaker Robin McKenna and I discuss her new film, GIFT, which is inspired by Lewis Hyde's classic book, The Gift. I consider Hyde to be an elder of an intellectual/spiritual lineage that has also informed a lot of my work, in particular the book Sacred Economics and the course, Living in the Gift. Here we travel through many dimensions of the gift universe as well as the process, content, and impact of this film, which opens in theaters on Oct. 11. From the film description, "GIFT is a tribute to something that can’t be measured or counted, bought or sold. Exploring the parallels between artists’ work and a gift economy, it’s a reflection on the creative process, the reasons we labour in service of our gifts." GIFT Trailer: https://vimeo.com/283716447 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GIFTdocumentary/ Information on upcoming screenings: http://www.giftitforwardproject.com/the-film/screenings/ Also, check out my book Sacred Economics http://charleseisenstein.org/books/sacred-ec

I describe Kelly Brogan as a “renegade psychiatrist” – someone who abandoned a prestigious career “in the system” to become a critic of pharmaceutical psychiatry and an advocate for holistic therapy. She is also a dear friend and ally whom I appreciate for her courage, creativity, and intellect. We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, medical, philosophical, and spiritual. Some of the main themes were: ending the war on pain, reclaiming personal sovereignty in physical and mental health, the power of “I don’t know,” and the passage to authentic personal and cultural adulthood. We also discuss her powerful new book, Own Your Self (https://amzn.to/32XjBpF).

This conversation with my good friend Cynthia Jurs was originally recorded for my online course, Living in the Gift. It was a meditative, engaging experience with synchronicities that showed up to support the flow of our stories and connection with one another. Truly, it was a lived experience of gift just to be in her presence and allow meaning to unfold, as I hope you will also sense in listening to this slow, deep, and joyful conversation on ideas that are central to synchronicity and sacrifice. Our conversation weaves together various themes explored in Living in the Gift. To learn more, go here: charleseisenstein.org/gift

Lynne Twist is the author of The Soul of Money and co-founder of the Pachamama Alliance. This conversation weaves together various themes explored in my online course, Living in the Gift: https://charleseisenstein.org/gift

Helena Norberg-Hodge is a revered elder in the movement seeking alternatives to the present course of economic globalism and cultural homogenization. Her film on Ladakh, Ancient Futures, was a major influence on my work. Here we talk about what is drawing so many people back to the local, back to the land, back to place, and back to a culture of belonging.

Brian Swimme is a mathematical cosmologist and philosopher. We went really deep in this conversation: the limits of human knowledge, cosmic evolution, science as a road to the sacred, and other speculations. I loved this fun, humorous, and mind-stretching conversation, and had the feeling that together we reached a place that neither could have reached alone.

Daniel Schmactenberger is a brilliant and innovative technologist and social philosopher. Here he outlines some of the foundations of his worldview as we discuss exponential tech, self-terminating social and technological processes, the future of humanity, the nature of the present crisis, and the necessity of a transition to non-rivalrous systems.

Brock Dolman is the founder of Occidental Arts & Ecology in Northern California, one of the first permaculture education centers in North America. In this conversation Brock displays a tiny fraction of his savant-level knowledge of ecology, water, soil, trees, and how to engage in a healing relationship to our environment. His unorthodox insights, especially relevant in a time of forest fires and extreme weather events, embed scientific reasoning within an ecospiritual aesthetic.

Philip Munyasia is the founder of Otepic, a permaculture/ ecovillage project in Kenya that brings youth from the slums to the land for social and ecological healing. You will Philip's courage, vision, and insight as they shine through in this conversation. He has been for me a key  informant to the question I carry: "What will it take to heal?" You can make donations to Otepic and send out a powerful ROI  (ripple of impact).

Orland Bishop is in my eyes a treasure on this earth. In this conversation we talk about the cosmological and geological dimensions of the current evolution of culture and consciousness, along with other topics. Please do avail yourself of the information carried by Orland's words and -- even more -- by his voice.

Judith Schwartz is the author of several books, most recently "Water in Plain Sight." She is a leading advocate of what is coming to be known as "rain for climate" -- a shift in emphasis toward water as the most important substance in understanding and addressing climate change. We talk about water, soil, and plants, trees and cows, dogmatism, veganism and meat, and other topics.

This conversation explores the contentious subject of the mental health system, through the story of patient advocate Laura Delano. Her journey into being institutionalized and recovering sovereignty over her mind and body has larger significance in our society. Her organization, Inner Compass Initiative, supports those who want to wean themselves off medication -- a formidable task not to be taken lightly.

Part 2 of Charles' conversation with Orland Bishop.

Charles Eisenstein in conversation with Orland Bishop

Eivind Skjellum is the creator of Reclaim your Inner Throne, a training program for men. In this conversation we talk about masculine and feminine archetypes, leadership, elderhood, and stories of transformation in this time when the old story of what a man is and how to be one are dissolving.

Severine von Tscharner Fleming is a kind of farming savant and a super-dynamic agent of the revolution in agriculture reuniting us with soil, water, and life. She is the founder of the Agrarian Trust, which connects young farmers with land they otherwise couldn't afford. We talked about the evolution of farming, its planetary healing potential, issues of ownership and the commons, and how to bridge our ideals and best practices to present-day economic realities.

This conversation with the amazing Gigi Coyle was recorded with a small live audience on a houseboat, where Gigi was recovering from knee surgery. Gigi is a source of valuable wisdom for activists and change agents today; a veteran of 1970's feminist and environmental movements, she has turned to deeper levels of activism. We connected on topics of ritual, surrender to a path, the importance of water, community, ambivalence and paradox, living our songlines, myth as a conveyor of truth, and more. I wish more people would have the chance to learn from Gigi, someone who is, in my eyes, a true elder.